How to Write 夯 (hāng) — Meaning “To ram / To tamp / Heavy”

Imagine a big (大) person using all their strength (力) to slam a heavy tamper into the ground — that action is 夯. The sound "hang" can also remind you of a hammer hitting the earth.

Write the top part 大 first with three strokes: horizontal, left-falling, right-falling. Then add the bottom 力 in two strokes: horizontal hook and left-falling. A common mistake is making the 力 too small or misaligning it; keep it directly under the center of 大.

夯 has a clear top-bottom structure: 大 on top and 力 below. 大 is just the top part alone (three strokes, no bottom). 买 looks different — it starts with a horizontal stroke and then a shape similar to 头 (head), and it means "to buy," not to ram.

夯 appears in construction terms like 夯实 (to consolidate or tamp down) and 夯土 (rammed earth, a building technique). It is also used metaphorically, for example, 夯实基础 means "to strengthen the foundation" in both literal and figurative contexts. The cultural note: 夯歌 refers to work songs sung by laborers while ramming earth together.

Common words containing 夯 include: 夯实 (hāng shí) — To consolidate / To tamp down; 夯土 (hāng tǔ) — Rammed earth; 夯歌 (hāng gē) — Work song (sung while ramming earth).